Apparatus for dispensing compressed gases



July 5, 1938. c. c. STRAW APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING COMPRESSED GASES Filed May 25, 1936' @222 9 Tm I 3 W RNEYS ATTO Patented July 5, 1938UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING COM- PRESSED GASES Clay 0. Straw,Ansonville, Pa., assignor to Oxygen Equipment and Service 00., Chicago,Ill., a. corporation of Illinois Application May 25, 1936, Serial No.81,642

9 Claims.

The invention relates to new and useful irriproveinents in apparatus fordispensing compressed gases and more especially to such improvementsapplied to a portable, self-contained apparatus of the kind described,such as an oxygenservice set.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in parthereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned bypractice with the invention, the same being realized and attained bymeans of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in theappended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements,combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawing, referred to herein and constituting a parthereof, illustrates one embodiment of the invention, and together withthe description, serves to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation perspective of an apparatus embodying. theinvention, and p 7 Fig. 2 is a section plan on the line 22 of Fig. 1,looking in the direction of the arrows.

Objects of the invention are to provide a selfcontained, self-protectingpackage, complete in itself and ready for dispensing the gas by simplyplacing the package on a support and opening the lid or cover, theapparatus being then ready for use by merely turning on the gas andapplying the inhaler to the patient or user; to provide a rigidprotecting casing positionable on one end, and openable to stand firmlyin position, the compressed gas cylinder, meter, and associated partsbeingfixed to and suspended from the upper part of the interior of thecasing; to provide a casing of the kind described, with a dispensingyoke fixed to and suspended from the upper part of, the interior of thecasing, a compressed gas cylinder being suspended from the yoke andconnected to supply gas through the yoke, the cylinder being readilyinsertible in and removable from the yoke While the case stands open.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment of the invention illustratedby way of example in the accompanying drawing, showing an oxygen serviceset, a two-part casing has Walls of strong, rigid material, the twoparts being hinged together along one Vertical side edge as by hinges 2,the case being adapted to rest on one end, and when opened, as shown inFig. l, the two parts, resting on the floor, table or other support,constitute a firm and stable support and housing for the actualapparatus. A suitable handle 3 is provided at the top so that the closedcasing may be readily handled and carried in an upright position.

Within one part of the casing the gas dispensing apparatus is fixed andsuspended so that it is'readily and simply accessible for use and sothat the gas cylinders may be readily removed and inserted to renew thegas supply. As embodied, a strong and firm plate I, preferably of metal,extends along the back of the casing for almost its complete length andis firmly fixed to the casing by suitable fastenings such as rivets 8.Fixed to plate 1 near its upper end by means of a nut 6 threaded on astud bolt 9, fixed to and extending from the plate, is a double gasdispensing fixture I0. This fixture has two oppositely extending pipearms II and I2, each arm terminating in a yoke or apertured frame I3,adapted to receive and hold in suspension a gas cylinder with its outletin communication with the pipe arm II or I2.

For the purpose of facilitating the insertion and removal of the gascontainers, the yokes I3 are rotatably mounted on the ends of the pipesII and I2 with a gas tight fit for the containers. As embodied (Fig. 2),the yoke is mounted on the pipe within a flange I4 fixed to the end ofthe pipe. A resilient apertured gasket I5 is socketed within andprojects from the flange I4 and provides a resilient, tight seal withthe gas opening in the top of the container. Cylinders I1 and I8containing, and adapted to dispense, compressed gas, may be of wellknown form and adapted to coact with the rotatable yokes 13. Thecylinders are accordingly shown with squared, internally-apertured neckprojections I9, adapted to fit against the resilient gaskets I5 in theouter ends of piped arms II or I2, with the interior aperturescommunicating, as shown in Fig. 2. Mounted in the exterior end of theyokes I3 are pointed, screw-threaded bolts 20, having handles 2|. Thepoints of screw bolts 20 register with indentations in and press againstthe outer faces of the squared necks I9 of the gas cylinders and holdthe cylinders firmly suspended with the conduits open into thedispensing fixture. The gas cylinders have the usual valve 22, wherebyone cylinder can be kept closed while the other cylinder is supplyinggas.

An exhausted gas cylinder can be easily and quickly replaced byloosening the clamping screw 20, swinging the bottom end outwardly andwithdrawing the cylinder. The fresh cylinder can be quickly and readilyinserted in like manner. This structure and manner of operation willalso permit the emergency use of gas containers which are too long to goinside the case, as the gas outlet can be inserted and fixed within theyoke with the container in inclined position extending out in front ofthe case.

The dispensing fixture is equipped with a valve 25 and a pipe 26 leadinginto the meter 21, which is shown as a bubbling or sight feed controlmeter, which indicates the litres per minute of gas discharged. The pipe26 discharges into a pipe 28 within the closed glass jar 21, and pipe'28 is apertured beneath the water and calibrated to indicate the volumeof gas being discharged. A flexible tube 32 communicates with the upperpart of sealed jar 21 of the flow rate meter, and

conducts away the gas delivered into the jar by pipe 28. An inhaler 33is connected to the other end of tube 32, the inhaler being applied tothe patient in the usual manner.

Means are provided for holding the containers firmly in position. Aspacing block 30 is fixed to the casing fioor and wall between thebottom ends of the two gas containers, and a cross piece 3! is fixed tothe bottom of the other part, which is the lid or closure, of the casingand presses resiliently against the bottom ends of the gas containerswhen the casing is closed, as shown in Fig. 2. The casing lid is fittedwith receptacles 34 for holding various appliances, and a hook 35 tohold the inhaler 33, the flexible tube 32 being also stored in the lid.

To put the device into use it is only necessary to open the case, openthe valves as required and apply the inhaler, as all the apparatus isalways in place within the casing and is protected by the casing. Anygas cylinder can be removed by simply rotating it slightly with its yokeI 3 on its suspension on the pipe arm, and loosening the clamping screw,and the new cylinder is inserted in place in like manner. When no longerrequired, the inhaler may be hung up, the tube stored, and the casinglid closed and locked.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specificmechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefromwithin the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from theprinciples of the invention and without sacrificing its chiefadvantages.

What I claim is:

1, An apparatus for dispensing compressed gas including in combinationan enclosing casing, a dispensing fixture fixed to said casing near itsupper end, said fixture having a pipe arm extending therefrom, a yokerotatably mounted on the end of the pipe arm, a compressed gas containersuspended within said yoke, and a gas tight connection between said gascontainer and pipe arm.

2. An apparatus for dispensing compressed gas including in combinationan enclosing casing, a dispensing fixture fixed to said casing near itsupper end, said fixture having a pipe arm extending therefrom, a yokerotatably mounted on the end of the pipe arm, a compressed gas containersuspended within said yoke, a gas tight connection between said gascontainer and pipe arm, and screw means mounted insaid yoke and pressingsaid container to suspend it in the yoke and maintain said gas tightconnection.

3. An apparatus for dispensing compressed gas including in combination arigid casing adapted to rest on an end thereof, a dispensing fixturefixed to said casing near its opposite end, said fixture having pipearms extending therefrom, a rotatable yoke mounted on the end of each ofsaid pipe arms, a gas tight fixture at the end of each pipe arm, andmeans for holding a gas container suspended in each of the rotatableyokes and for. pressing it against said gas tight fixture.

4. An apparatus for dispensing compressed gas including in combinationan enclosing casing, having a closure, a dispensing fixture fixed withinsaid casing, means for rotatively suspending a gas container from saidfixture, and means carried by said closure for resiliently pressing thegas container in position when said closure is closed.

5. An apparatus for dispensing compressed gas including in combination arigid casing adapted to rest on an end, a supporting base plate fastenedto an interior wall of said casing, and extending over a substantialpart of the wall, a dispensing fixture fixed to said base plate withinthe casing, a compressed gas cylinder suspended from said dispensingfixture, a gas conduit from said cylinder to said fixture, a valve insaid fixture, a gas flow rate indicating meter supported from saidfixture, a conduit delivering gas from said fixture to said meter, andan inhaler tube to take the metered gas from said fiow indicating meter.

6. An apparatus for dispensing compressed gas including in combination arigid casing adapted to rest on an end, a supporting base plate fastenedto an interior wall of said casing and extending over a substantial partof the wall, a dispensing fixture fixed to said base plate within thecasing, an intake gas pipe fixed to and extending from said fixture, acompressed gas cylinder suspended from said pipe and connected theretoto supply gas to the fixture, a valve in said fixture, a pipe fixed toand extend ing from said fixture, a gas flow rate indicatmg metersupported from said pipe and receiving gas therethrough from saidfixture, and an inhaler tube to take the metered gas from said flowindicating meter.

7. An apparatus for dispensing compressed gas including in combination arigid casing adapted to rest on end, a dispensing fixture fixed to theinterior of said casing near one end thereof and contained within thecasing, a compressed gas cylinder connected to deliver gas to saiddispensing fixture and located entirely within the casing, a valve insaid dispensing fixture, a gas fiow rate indicator including a closedvessel for receiving gas from said fixture, and an inhaler tubeconnected to receive the metered gas from said vessel.

8. An apparatus for dispensing compressed gas including in combination arigid case adapted to rest on an end, a supporting base plate fastenedcentrally to an interior wall of said casing and extending over asubstantial part of the wall, a dispensing fixture fixed to said baseplate within the casing, gas pipes extending outwardly from said fixtureat either side, each pipe being fitted with means for taking a,compressed gas cylinder to supply gas into said fixture, a gas fiowindicating meter receiving gas from said fixture, and an inhaler tube totake the metered gas from said fiow indicating meter.

9, An apparatus for dispensing compressed gas including in combination arigid casing adapted to rest on end, a supporting base plate fastened toan interior wall of said casing and extending over a substantial part ofsaid wall, a dispensing fixture and a compressed gas cylinder andconnection for supplying gas from the cylinder to the dispensingfixture, all suspended from said plate, a gas flow rate indicatorreceiving gas from said fixture, and an inhaler tube for conveying gasfrom said indicator.

CLAY C. STRAW.

